Abstract

MANRIQUE ABRIL, FRED GUSTAVO  and  SUESCUN CARRERO, SANDRA HELENA. Prevalence of intestinal parasites and nutritional status in children and adolescents in Tunja. CES Med. [online]. 2011, vol.25, n.1, pp.20-30. ISSN 0120-8705.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitism and nutritional status in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 enrolled in public and private schools from urban Tunja, Colombia. Materials and methods: This is a prevalence study made in 507 schoolchildren of Tunja, included from February to December 2005. Fecal sample was taken; also social, demographic and anthropometric data. Tables of frequency and nutritional indicators were calculated by following the anthropometry WHO tables. Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasites was 89.7 %. Blastocistis hominis occurred in 67,9% of the children, Entamoeba histolytica / Entamoeba dispar in 8.66 %, Giardia intestinalis, 7.82 %; Trichuris trichiura, with 0.84 % and Fasciola hepatica, with 0.28 %. Hemoglobin showed normal average values for children and adolescents (Hb: 14.7 ±-0.82 g/dl and 15.45±1.18 g/dl), respectively. Chronic malnutrition was found in 21.6 % for boys and 34.3% for girls), 16.7 % of boys and 11.1 % of girls were overweight Conclusions: Given the current situation exist poliparasitism in children of Tunja, and indicators of acute and chronic malnutrition are higher than the national total. According to the law , must be protected and campaigns should be made to eradicate these two scourges.

Keywords : Parasites; Malnutrition; Child nutrition disorders; Adolescent nutrition; Tunja.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )